Alcohol has a detrimental effect on the human body. All organs and systems of the human body are affected. The negative impact does not spare the younger generation, neither women nor men. It’s worth understanding: is alcohol harmful to a person; the impact on each life support system; how harmful alcohol is to the body.
Alcoholism and its consequences
The effects of alcohol and its effects on the body have been well studied. Absolutely all human organs and systems fall under the influence of ethanol: the digestive system, the central nervous system, the cardiovascular system, the urogenital system, the respiratory system, the musculoskeletal system, the visual organs, and so on. Alcohol does the most damage to the liver, heart and brain (memory training).
The effects of alcohol on the body are as follows:
- negatively affects the cells of the organs;
- promotes mutation and the development of oncology;
- if used during pregnancy may have irreversible consequences for the fetus;
- a drug;
- disrupts normal metabolism;
- reduces immunity.
Effects on the liver
The effect of alcohol on the liver is related to its main function - cleansing the body of toxins and harmful substances. Prolonged alcohol consumption can damage the liver by ethanol and interfere with its function. If the liver is unable to cope with the filtration function, all toxic substances enter the bloodstream into other organs.
The effects of alcohol on the liver are manifested in the following diseases:
- Acute alcoholic hepatitis. Symptoms: depression, malaise, loss of appetite or loss of appetite, fever, jaundice, confusion. This disease can be cured if the use of ethanol-containing products is stopped and the treatment is carried out in a timely and correct manner.
- Cirrhosis of the liver presents with symptoms of indigestion, abdominal pain, weight loss and weakness. May develop asymptomatically. Cirrhosis is characterized by an increase in connective tissue that begins to kill liver cells. The liver slowly stops working. In the later stages, increased pressure in the blood vessels of the liver, encephalopathy, and oncology may be associated with cirrhosis of the liver.
- fatty hepatosis. Occurs in the absence of symptoms, the presence of which is confirmed by a biochemical blood test. Hepatitis is not treated with medication, it is the main way to stop drinking alcohol.
The effect of alcohol on the brain
Many people drink alcohol after a tiring day of work, a holiday, or just a day off. However, it is worth noting that not all people have a sense of proportion. And sooner or later, such a harmless hobby becomes a bad habit. And about whatalcohol is harmfulto know and write for a long time. There has been a lot of discussion about it to this dayalcohol is the cause of many diseases. That it destroys liver cells and fails to perform its functions. That it also impairs the functioning of the brain. As a result, a person's memory and brain activity deteriorate. This is because when an alcoholic beverage, in other words alcohol, is consumed, it is absorbed into the bloodstream and, along with the bloodstream, travels to the brain, where the process of active destruction takes place.
The human brain is made up of 15 billion neurons, which are neurons that die from interacting with alcohol. That is, each time and with each sip of alcohol, the number of dead neurons in the skull area increases.
And how's everything going? Once in the body, ethanol is absorbed into the bloodstream and passes through the organs. Excessive consumption affects the hypothalamus and reduces the production of vasopressin, leading to dehydration. Ethanol in the blood begins to act on red blood cells, rupturing their membranes. These two processes cause the red blood cells to stick together and form blood clots. Blood clots gradually grow and block the permeability of blood vessels - the brain becomes oxygenated and the brain cells die. Oxygen deficiency leads to acidification and tissue hypoxia gradually develops.
When doctors opened the brains of people who had died of alcohol poisoning or had consumed heavy alcohol in their lifetime, they found that this man’s brain was completely ruined. After that, scientists concluded that alcohol is the most powerful tool that deprives a person of Estonian. As is already known and scientifically proven, alcohol destroys brain cells. However, it is worth considering the fact that it affects each person differently. Because in some people, the first thing that is exposed to the devastating effects of alcoholic beverages is the back of the brain. In this case, they are rocked hard. In the second case, the moral center itself is also subject to destruction. The latter case is considered the most dangerous condition because alcohol kills the brain cells that control behavior. As practice has shown, a person in this state is capable of destroying not only his own life but also someone else’s life. However, there is a third case where a person’s memory is destroyed. That is, in the morning, one simply does not remember what happened yesterday, where he was, and what he was doing.
Scientists have found that a glass of alcohol kills about 1, 000 to 2, 000 cells. Which, in turn, begin to rot and decompose in the cerebral cortex. In this case, a person experiences a severe headache called a hangover. As these cells poison the brain, defense processes begin to work in the human body. Which in turn contributes to the pumping of large amounts of fluid through the skull. This fluid, along with the dead cells, leaves the human body through the urethra. Alcohol is harmful to humans in any form and dose. It disrupts the work of all metabolic processes in the human body and affects its genetic code.
The described processes lead to damage to the parts of the brain responsible for the vestibular apparatus, human behavior, and memory and attention. With regular alcohol consumption, thinking and mental processes change - degeneration.
Effects on the psyche and nervous system
The effects of alcohol on the functioning of the central nervous system are expressed as follows:
- Causes insomnia and nightmares. Night terrors can be excruciating, and it’s not uncommon for alcoholics to be afraid to sleep. Taking sleeping pills or antidepressants will only make the situation worse or lead to serious side effects.
- Violates thought processes, adversely affects memory. First, the memorization takes place in fragments, and then ethanol destroys neural connections, and gradually one does not remember the past and cannot remember something again.
- The consequences of alcohol consumption are manifested in the weakening of the intellect: one stops logical thinking, emotions, feelings, perceptions disappear.
- Polyneuritis is a neurological complication. It manifests as inflammation of the nerves in the arms and legs. Symptoms include numbness, a burning sensation and weakness in the limbs.
The mental consequences of alcoholism:
- Psychosis - Ethanol causes inhibition of metabolic processes and oxygen starvation. The mind becomes blurred, the phobias, man gradually isolates and begins to live in a self-created world.
- Delirium tremens. It manifests itself in sleep disturbances, cramps, depression, sudden changes in feelings of fear and joy, and auditory and visual hallucinations.
- Alcoholic encephalopathy develops in the third stage of alcoholism. It is characterized by symptoms of delirium tremens, accompanied by weakness, loss of appetite, tremor, confusion, coma. There is a high chance of death.
- Alcohol paralysis - encephalopathy in the chronic stage. Loss of reality, inflammation of the limbs.
- The effects of alcohol on the human psyche lead to alcoholic epilepsy and alcohol breakdown in the later stages of alcoholism.
Effects on the cardiovascular system
Consequences of excessive alcohol consumption on the cardiovascular system:
- Violation of vascular tone and elasticity of the circulatory system due to oxygen starvation and thrombosis.
- myocardial dystrophy. The pathology is caused by a violation of the interstitial metabolism.
- Myocardial hypertrophy and cardiac obesity.
- By aggregating red blood cells, the formation and accumulation of blood clots leads to the death of heart cells, leading to a heart attack.
- Blockage of the blood vessels leads to the appearance of blood stains on the skin of the face.
Effects on the organs of the urinary system
Ethanol, which is part of alcoholic beverages, leads to a change in the sensitivity of the renal pelvis, leading to a decrease in defense mechanisms. Increased likelihood of inflammatory processes in the kidneys, urethra and bladder - pyelonephritis, nephritis, glomerulonephritis, urethritis, cystitis.
Prolonged use of alcohol produces a precipitate of protein in the urine. Ethanol-washed minerals settle and accumulate in the kidneys to form stones - urolithiasis develops.
If the metabolism is disturbed by alcohol, the structure of the kidneys is damaged, harmful substances accumulate, and toxins form kidney dystrophy. In the absence of treatment and further alcohol consumption, kidney failure develops in one of the listed diseases.
Effects on the digestive system
Alcohol entering the oral cavity disrupts the function of the salivary glands in the oral cavity and causes the viscosity of the saliva, which reduces its ability to defend itself. Ethanol begins to destroy the wall of the esophagus. Later, in chronic alcoholics, swallowing is disturbed.
The secretory function gradually deteriorates, in the case of which the pancreas is attacked. Alcoholic gastritis develops, which gradually turns into inflammation of the pancreas.
In addition, alcohol contributes to the production of gastric juice and hydrochloric acid, which corrode the walls of the digestive tract and cause ulcers, which over time can cause gastrointestinal oncology. In addition, alcohol clogs the capillaries, thereby interfering with the absorption of vitamins, which is harmful to the human body.
The spleen cleanses the body of dead blood cells. In case of alcohol poisoning of the body, the work of the spleen and the ability of the body to cleanse are disturbed. The effects of alcohol on the liver, pancreas and circulatory system, as well as their work, also interfere with the work of the spleen.
As a result of alcohol abuse, the blood flow to the spleen is disrupted, resulting in a tissue infarction and an accumulation of a splenic capsule.
Effect on immunity
The effect of alcohol on the defense mechanisms of the human body:
- Suppresses innate and acquired immunity.
- Decreased immunity does not produce enough white blood cells, and resistance to disease is impaired.
- It impairs the synthesis of cytokines, the excess of which leads to tissue destruction, the absence of common diseases.
- It suppresses the work of T cells, which increases the risk of oncology.
- Alcohol lowers immunity and increases the risk of pneumonia, tuberculosis and HIV.
Effects on the musculoskeletal system
Ethanol is known to dry out the body. Water is essential for cell function. Lack of fluid leads to metabolic disorders. As a result, breakdown products and harmful compounds accumulate in the muscle tissue, causing discomfort. Alcoholism disrupts the endocrine system - the production of testosterone and glycogen is suppressed. Their lack leads to muscle tissue degradation.
The effect of alcohol on the joints
- Alcoholism develops arthrosis and arthrosis - a thinning of the cartilage tissue and its disappearance in the case of regular abuse. The frictional protection mechanism disappears and the joints start to ache.
- Joint pain after alcohol can cause compression of the epiphyses and deterioration of blood flow, resulting in bone ischemia.
- Aseptic necrosis - death of bone tissue
- Gout is an inflammation of the joints.
- After alcohol, the joints and knees hurt due to fluid retention in the tissues and an increase in intraarticular fluid pressure.
Effect on appearance
How alcohol affects the appearance:
- Alcoholic beverages are high in calories, combined with a high-calorie snack and disrupted metabolism, leading to obesity and the appearance of cellulite.
- Effects of alcohol on the skin: Dehydration leads to skin aging and wrinkling.
- Ethanol washes away vitamins, minerals and nutrients, disrupts blood flow - the face is covered with pimples and capillaries.
- The body is covered with non-infectious papules and scales - psoriasis develops.
- Acetic acid aldehyde dilates the blood vessels and as a result, the facial skin turns brown.
- Skin cancer is possible in the last stages of alcoholism.
Effects on the endocrine system
Alcohol inhibits the work of the endocrine system, which includes the endocrine glands:
- Alcohol and thyroid: hormonal activity causes a disorder that negatively affects the ability to reproduce. Infertility, miscarriage, and premature birth are common in women with alcoholism.
- Alcohol and the pancreas: Ethanol inhibits the pancreas and pancreatitis develops in the background of decreased immunity.
- Alcohol reduces insulin production - diabetes develops. Cases of latent course of the disease are not uncommon.
- The adrenal glands are responsible for carbohydrate and mineral metabolism, the production of sex hormones, and the functioning of the cardiovascular system. In case of violation of the work of the adrenal glands, the whole body suffers, the greatest blow falls on the reproductive function.
- Alcoholism disrupts the connection between the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus. The production of tropical hormones decreases and the synthesis of hormones of the opposite sex increases - the appearance gradually changes.
Effects on the lungs
Alcohol is not only excreted from the body through the digestive system and the excretory system. The lungs are actively involved in this process. The organs of the respiratory system do not adapt to such a load, so the lung tissue gradually hardens and expands. Connective tissue fibrosis occurs. Mucus and sputum begin to accumulate in the lungs. It causes pneumonia and other diseases of the lower respiratory system.
Alcohol also leads to dehydration of the mucous membranes and the defense mechanisms are damaged, a person is more likely to be exposed to viral and infectious diseases. Alcoholics often suffer from tuberculosis. Blockage of the blood vessels leads to a lack of oxygen.
Effect on vision
Injury to the eye is not uncommon with regular alcohol consumption due to:
- Blood clots in the blood vessels in the optic nerve and eye motor muscles disrupt the blood supply to the entire visual system.
- A decrease in the level of oxygen in the blood, which leads to darkening of the eye, can lead to blindness.
- Increased intraocular pressure causing rupture and bleeding.
- Vision does not adapt well to changing conditions and lighting. Objects in the field of view move away and blur. Alcohol-related disorders cause double vision in the eye center of the brain.
- In the last stage, under the influence of alcohol, the optic nerves atrophy.
Alcohol, without exception, is harmful to the whole body. There are violations of the digestive system, excretory, cardiovascular, endocrine and other body systems. Adverse effects on organ function lead to the development of serious diseases, some of which are untreatable.